CAIRO: The higher committee of exceptional pensions announced it will grant exceptional pensions to 1,259 needy cases including citizens with critical illnesses and the families of those who suffered fatal accidents. According to a statement by the Ministry of Finance, Rashad Salem - first deputy at the Ministry of Finance and head of the Government Pensions Fund - said that conditions for granting exceptional pensions are applicable to all government employees. Those who work in the private sector are also eligible as long as they were employed in the public sector for at least three years. The committee, he added, would be looking into cases of people who have dependants to support as well as those who have critical or chronic health conditions that affect their ability to work. "We have been following the instructions of the Minister of Finance and doing our best to facilitate the system of pensions [to cater] to most citizens, Salem told Daily News Egypt. Talaat Ismail, head of government insurance for the public and private sector, said that according to Article 153/2006, a citizen who has already taken out an insurance policy can merge their injury pension with the insurance they receive for old age, disability or death. Mohamed Atteya, former first deputy at the Ministry of Social Solidarity, told Daily News Egypt that the current pension system does not pay enough for the average citizen to cover his daily needs. "I think that improving exceptional pensions is a [positive] step taken by the Ministry of Finance, said Atteya, adding that plans to improve the pension system have existed since the establishment of the Ministry of Social Solidarity. He also said that pensions need to be increased until they reach the current salary and wage level. On the other hand, he pointed out that "salaries nowadays do not cover daily expenses. Finally, he said that there will need to be a continuous raise in pensions until the National Council of Wages sets salaries that are in harmony with the rising cost of living.
